(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to material handling systems and, more particularly, to an improved discharge chute for use with tilt tray sorter material handling systems.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Conventional tilt tray sorters discharge their goods onto individual chutes located near each packer. The upper surfaces of the chutes are formed from stainless steel or corrosion resistant aluminum, polyethylene, wood, plastic, fiberglass, or other similar, low friction material in order to stand up against the constant wear and tear of day in and day out usage. One example of such a chute is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,986 issued Jun. 22, 1993 to Fortenbery.
However, the cost of a sorter is about $1500 per linear foot. Accordingly, it is well known to discharge on both sides of the sorter to double its capacity. It is also known to use a two-position chute which can unload articles to two separate cells at one chute location therefore also doubling the sorter's granularity. Granularity is defined as the number of distribution points or cells per conveyor length. However, because of the high cost per foot of the sorter there still remains a need for even further increases in discharge granularity.
Thus, there remains a need for a new and improved chute for material handling applications which further increases discharge density at least 150% while, at the same time, is economical to manufacture and maintain.